Santa Giveaway!

Since every great Blog must have a giveaway and since Black Friday and Cyber Monday are coming and someone should get some free stuff on those days, I decided I'd give away this little fella.

I also thought he'd be good for a giveaway because he was impossible to photograph. He's cuter than he appears in this photos. His tree lights up. I call this piece "Light the Christmas Tree" and it is made up of items found at the thrift store.

How to enter:
Visit my store at http://www.paddywackdesigns.etsy.com/ and come back here and leave a comment, telling me the item you like the best in my shop. Also, tell me your favorite Holiday movie.
(I couldn't decide which I wanted to do and since it's my giveaway, I thought I'd do both.)
The prize winner will be selected at random next Tuesday!
Be sure to include your email address.
Have a great Thanksgiving.

Truly broken now!

I'm not sure what this snowman has against life, but I dropped him again and now he is truly broken. ): Luckily the snowman himself is fine, he just wrecked his ride. I thought I'd share some of the process of creating these little fellas.
The process really starts when I'm at an antique or thrift store and I spot items that my little crew can hold or items I can use to decorate them, like old buttons. Sometimes I don't know how I'm going to use an item. For instance, I picked up a couple old felt stockings that were in very rough shape, but they were too precious to leave behind. I was able to cut them up and salvage them. Part of one stocking is pictured above with the "Noel" banner the snowman on the very left is holding.

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These are some of the guys in progress. First I make a figure and then I cover them in paper clay. I've been experimenting with what I can make their figures out of and I found egg cartons work well.


This picture was from a 2004 Country Living. I draw some inspiration from it, while still trying to maintain my own vision. Many times the look of my snowguys, just evolves as a I make them.

Don't they just make you smile?
I've always wanted to find an vintage example, to the ones pictured above, but have never had much luck. The other day, at an antique store, I did find an affordable, cute snowman. He had a pine cone body and a little cloth head. So cute, but the mother in me just wouldn't let me buy him.
Why not? The little guy was smoking!

You're so cute, but must you eat my decorations!

I had know idea that squirrels would just start snacking on my pumpkins! I've never seen this happen before...


I was hoping they would last until Thanksgiving, but it looks like someone started the feast early!

In its new home

I got this great piece at a yard sale this summer and some friends were recently able to transport it to me. I still need to get some shelves made for it, but I think it fits perfectly in our new dining room.

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I didn't measure it, when I bought it. I had hoped it would fit between two windows in our dining room and sure enough it did. I would probably never get that lucky again. (: Note to self, always measure!

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Do you think the chair looks okay, there?

It was my first reupholster project and I don't have the heart to get rid of it, but I really don't have a great place for it anymore! The pets seem to like it and they do dictate a large amount of my decorating style as does my son. (i.e. Wow, love this delicate glass cake stand ... in one piece. I better put it in the cupboard and not use it as a centerpiece)

I'm I the only one that gets excited ...

By these...

Didn't I find a great stash when I was out with my friends antiquing? The Ziploc bag is future fodder for my snowmen (on sale right now at my etsy shop, www.paddywackdesigns.etsy.com )

The little bells and glass bead strands are all mine. (: I'm so excited to decorate my new house for Christmas. I'm a little nervous too. I don't think we have as many flat services for me to decorate, so I'm not sure where the nativity and the Christmas village will go.

Also this year, I will have an almost 2 year old and a new cat, so who knows what will happen to the tree. STILL, I'm excited. Day after Thanksgiving, let the decorating commence.

Favorite new item

Here's a new item that I just added to my shop. I used the "wagon" that my son's blocks came in to make a message-chalkboard.

I think it has some nice details with a little eraser, and a chalk pocket. It also comes with hooks on the back to affix it to the wall.

Of course the blocks, hearken back to it's former life.

While I'm normally go to the thrift store looking for things to recreate, it was kind of fun to find a candidate right in my house!

You won't see him in my shop!

Here's the little guy I dropped, breaking his sleigh!




Wasn't he oh-so-cute, He even has little toys in his sleigh. Luckily, the sleigh is pretty much intact from the front.

Whenever I create these little guys, I'm always tempted to keep them and in this case it looks like I'll have too. Oh well, I really like him, so it's not so bad.

I got the nicest surprise in the mail!

A dear college friend sent me a special little mini-scrapbook of my son in his Halloween costume. It was just so precious.

She also sent a beautiful hand-stamped card that said," The season of friendship lasts forever." I'm so glad that's true.

The little gift was so uplifting to me because I've really been struggling to get my etsy shop open.

It seems that just when I'm ready to start I feel like there's something else I have to figure out. This gift reminded me that handcrafting something ultimately isn't about making money (Although it would be nice if I could) it's about making people happy.

Today, I dropped one of more poor little snowmen I've been working on and I didn't get to upset about it...He's broken now, but I think he's salvagable for my own collection. (:

Go make someone happy!

I know I am....Thanks Heather.

"Studio" Space

I'm lucky enough to have a spare room in our house, so I've turned it into a studio of sorts. This Art Deco piece use to be in our dining room, but was too big for our new room. Instead of hosting china and crystal, now it's be relegated to craft supply hutch.Of course my "studio" has to play double duty and is also our dogs' bedroom.

I try to surround myself with bits of inspiration, including an adorable apron that is too small to actually help me in the kitchen, but I just can't part with it. Of course a favorite purse is always nice to gaze upon.

I also usually have to keep my son occupied, which is the toughest job of all. This room is never this neat between my creating and my son's destroying things do get messy.

It's been a week of thrifting!

It was a great day for thrifting yesterday. My son and I (poor little mister) popped into about three different shops. I was excited to find the St. Vincent De Paul across town much improved. I had almost given up on it. I found this cute Christmas Platter.

I hang my platters on the wall and I think when Christmas gets closer it will be fun to bring some holiday spirit to the kitchen.

I also got my son a Little Tykes "Cozy Coupe" for a whole $5. That's right, $5!

My greatest find though was an a Wild Turkey bottle from 1976. I have a little shelf in our entryway (came with the house, but I think it's cute) that I decorate for the seasons. I was so excited to find the Turkey Bottle and a little turkey to grace the corner and to pair with an old Turkey picture I had gotten from an old magazine cover ... Oh that reminds me... I have some turkey post cards I'll have to add to the mix.

I love decorating with old post cards and you can often find them for a song. Christmas and Easter are the easiest to find, but Thanksgiving ones are pretty prevalent too. I know a lot of people skip over Thanksgiving when it comes to decorating but it remains one of my favorite Holidays and I think Tom the Turkey deserves some attention!

I'll have to go find those post cards to make the vignette complete.